High School

INDEPENDENCE –– Regardless of who is standing on the other sideline, ending a month-long skid is reason to feel good.

Grayson County, which saw a three-game season-opening winning streak dampened by a four-game slide, had its way with the Bland County defense Friday and got back on the winning track, celebrating homecoming with a 48-7 Mountain Empire District win at Bill Strong Field.

COVINGTON –– Austin Pack and Terrance Mazon combined for 224 passing yards and Steven Peoples topped 100 yards rushing in his first action in the backfield as Galax rolled over Covington 34-6 in a nondistrict game Friday at Casey Field.

Pack started for the Maroon Tide and completed 6-of-7 passes for 99 yards, including an 11-yard toss to Deion George for the game’s first score.

To wit: Grayson County’s 3-0 start to the season was wrecked by a sound 27-7 defeat at the hands of Glenvar, which itself saw a 4-0 start ruined a week later by winless Rural Retreat, a team that was clobbered 55-20 two weeks prior by Grayson County, the same Grayson County that lost a close one to Galax, who lost a close one to Fort Chiswell, who was hammered pretty hard, 35-7, by Chilhowie, a team that lost by four touchdowns to Grayson County.

Galax’s first trip to Covington in 25 years will give a new generation of Maroon Tide football players a first-hand look at Casey Field, a dual-purpose stadium that in addition to the Cougar football field, houses one of the nicer baseball diamonds in Region C.

In keeping with that theme, the Maroon Tide will try to cover all the bases and take away the home run hitter.

HILLSVILLE –– Carroll County didn’t allow an offensive touchdown for the third time in the last four games and the Cavaliers exploded for 25 second-half points, rolling over Marion for a 39-0 homecoming win in a Southwest District game Friday at Tommy Thompson Field.

Carroll County (5-2 overall, 3-0 district) held the Scarlet Hurricane (3-4, 1-3) to 42 yards of total offense, including one yard on 14 first-half plays.

HILLSVILLE –– For a series that has been decidedly one-sided in recent years, Carroll County vs. Marion is about as competitive as they come.

In what has become a series of nailbiters that seem to always end up the same, Carroll County will host Marion in a Southwest District game tonight at Tommy Thompson Field for the Cavaliers’ homecoming night.

The Maroon Tide and Narrows varsity and JV teams will be competitors on the floor but teammates for a cause Thursday as Galax hosts the Green Wave for a ‘Volley for the Cure’ game at the GHS gymnasium.

The Mountain Empire District match will begin at 6 p.m. with the JV game, and the varsity will follow.

CHARLOTTE –– Galax enjoyed one of its best-ever visits to the Wendy’s Classic on Oct. 2, earning just its second top-15 individual finish by the boys’ team as well as its highest team finish ever by the girls.

HILLSVILLE –– Blake Bowman accounted for 313 all-purpose yards and Carroll County’s defense kept Abingdon out of the end zone for the first time this year as the Cavaliers claimed a 28-3 win in a Southwest District game Friday at Tommy Thompson Field.

A senior quarterback, Bowman rushed 15 times for 120 yards, completed two passes for 40 yards and totaled 153 yards in punt returns as the Cavaliers improved to 4-2 overall, 2-0 in the district with the win.